Flashcards
Managing workplace Health & Safety W11
Cards in this deck (21)
- 1The extent of the problem• 2009–2010: 337 fatalities and a fatality rate of 000 workers
• 2013–2014: Almost 135 000 serious workers’ compensation claims
• Direct and indirect WHS costs
• Potential hazards include:
–physical factors
–chemical agents or other hazardous substances –workplace organisation
–stress
–violence or physical harm from work colleagues.
1.9/100 - 2WHS and Strategic HRM• Adopt strategic interventions and use these as evidence of HR specialist contributions to business productivity and profitability.
• Focus on the common causes and trends of site accidents and injuries.
• Develop appropriate preventive work systems or more effective administrative and rehabilitation programs. - 3Perspectives of WHS in Australia• Developed through social reform and humanitarian movement
• Professionals’ interest in WHS
WHS and the medical model
Occupational epidemiology
Industrial psychology
Industrial sociology
Ergonomics and occupational hygiene The legal profession and WHS
Union approaches - 4WHS and the medical model–An emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of, rather than the prevention of, illnesses and disease.
–Medical or physical approaches often seem narrowly focused or unable to fully explain causes or devise suitable preventative strategies.
–Epidemiologists research ‘epidemics’, the incidence of diseases and illnesses in workplaces, and attempt to establish their causes and solutions. - 5Industrial psychology–The study of employees’ psychological reactions to their workplaces.
- 6Industrial sociology–The study of interpersonal communications and relationships in the workplace.
–Four-level causative model of injury/disease (Dwyer
1982):
– reward systems
– command structure
– work organisation
– individual factors. - 7Ergonomics & occupation hygiene–Aim to eliminate risks and improve productivity by modifying the physical arrangements and conditions of the workplace.
–Drawing on scientific management theories. - 8The legal profession and WHS–Legal action has increased since the passing of more comprehensive WHS legislation in most Australian states during the 1980s and subsequent years.
- 9WHS law in Australia-prevention
-compensation
-rehabilitation - 10Preventive WHS legislation• The concept of ‘occupational wellbeing’ and the awareness of employee welfare signified a more preventive approach to WHS.
• WHS is ‘the protection and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers in all occupations’.
• Self-regulation; cautions preferred to punishment. - 11• Rehabilitation should be:–industry-based
–function-oriented
–based on early intervention
–multidisciplinary
–based on a shared responsibility. - 12Creating a safe, healthy and ethical work environment‘While the success of a WHS program depends largely on managers, supervisors, union representatives and employees themselves, HR professionals can be involved in strategic, operational, coordinating and administrative roles that support all their activities.’
- 13Issue 1: Workplace accidents• Need to be able to:
– assess extent and costs to industry and society
(imprecise)
– identify cause and build in prevention – develop an effective framework. - 14Issue 2: Workplace stress• Increased pressure on employees • Legal precedents
• Series of research studies
• No agreed definition of stress
• Symptoms: fatigue, exhaustion, physical or emotional breakdown
• Effects - 15Employer responses• Five-step program:
1. formulate a preventive strategy
2. develop a stress diagnostic system
3. involve top-level management
4. evaluate current programs
5. document what has been done. - 16Issue 3: The risks of international travel• Increased terrorism
• Recent disease outbreaks
• Bird flu and swine flu
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Adverse effects on travellers’ physical and mental health, as well as disruptions to their families
Employers advised to:
– monitor levels of travel required
– develop alternatives
– establish codes of practice
– discuss risks personally
– examine and communicate levels of insurance and workers’ compensation entitlements. - 17Issue 4: Workplace bullying• Causes significant financial damage to organisations.
• Bullying is ‘the repeated less favourable treatment of a person by another or others in the workplace, which may be considered unreasonable and inappropriate in the workplace’. - 18Issue 5: Shift work• ‘unusual or irregular hours, usually involving evening and night work’ (p. 507 of the textbook).
• interrupts workers’ circadian (or body) rhythms – the light/dark cycle – resulting in increased levels of workers’ sickness and interruptions to productivity. - 19Issue 6: Employee personal problems• Supervisors receive training and support • On-site counselling services
• External employee assistance programs - 20Wellness programs• Develop broad preventive programs concerned with overall employee lifestyle issues
• Regular exercise, proper nutrition, weight control, and the avoidance of heart and lung disease. - 21• Successful WHS programs require:–top management commitment
–extensive safety and health promotion, and communication, training and development activities that are integrated and cost-effective
–adequate protective and medical/first aid, diagnostic and treatment facilities
–risk management, recording, analysis and development systems
–consultative mechanisms to investigate, monitor and prevent actual and potential workplace issues
–integrated approaches to accidents/injury/disease, rehabilitation and workers’ compensation.